BRING on United! That's the battlecry from Saints as they prepare for the biggest test yet of their improved away form.

The 1-1 draw at Everton means Glenn Hoddle's men have now lost only twice in ten matches on the road since the 7-2 thumping at Tottenham last March.

They are becoming hard to beat away from home and are relishing the prospect of tackling mighty Manchester United a week on Saturday.

Manager Glenn Hoddle said: "We are going into people's backyards and outplaying them, and we will go to Old Trafford with a lot of optimism.

"That will be a big test and we will try to come up with something for that.

"We are starting to go away and dominate games, and we have the belief that we can go to places like Manchester United and Arsenal and turn them over.

"We have Manchester City at home first, though, and we need to start picking up points at The Dell to build on our away form."

Saints came away from Goodison Park bitterly disappointed with only a point after taking the lead 15 minutes from time with a stunning goal from Jason Dodd.

A Michael Ball penalty - Everton's only serious shot on target - salvaged a point for the Merseysiders, who were outpassed all afternoon.

It was the third time in five away fixtures this season that Saints have taken the lead only to be pegged back for a draw.

If they had hung on at Derby, Charlton and Everton, they would now be fourth.

Hoddle added: "That is six points we've thrown away and the lads are very upset not to have won the game. They felt as though they had lost at the end.

"I really enjoyed the way we played and being part of it. We outpassed Everton and it's the way I love the game to be played.

"If we keep performing like that we will win more than we lose.

"We had five in midfield at the right times and three up front when we had the ball. Our shape allows us to break from midfield and, if the quality in the final third had been better, we could have won 3-0 as Ipswich did here a fortnight earlier.

"They scored just before half-time, exactly the same time as Tahar El Khalej hit the bar for us. If that had gone in, the crowd would have got on Everton's backs and we could have won by a similar score.

"It was definitely a penalty - I have no qualms about that. It was just disappointing that, having taken the lead late on, we did not hold on to it."